Dutch parliament agrees to freeze healthcare deductibles amount

A majority in the Tweede Kamer voted on Tuesday for an emergency legislative proposal to freeze the amount of healthcare own-risk deductibles at 385 euros next year. The Eerste Kamer also voted in the bill later on Tuesday, NU.nl reports.

Last week the parties negotiating forming a new Dutch government together - the VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie - already said that they will not raise the deductibles to 400 euros. But because this money still needs to be paid, health insurance premiums will likely increase by an extra annual amount of 10 euros. This is only for next year - as the parties are still in the midst of government formation, their policy for the coming years is not yet clear.

The formation parties submitted this emergency proposal in an effort to get the law published in the statute book by October 1st.

The new opposition parties were outraged by this emergency procedure, calling it a "political trick" and "something out of one's own pocket", according to NU.nl. But as they also do not want the deductibles to increase next year, they agreed. Only DENK voted against.

The amount of the deductibles has an influence on the premiums for basic health insurance. The health insurers must announce their premiums for next year by no later than November 12th.

Insurer DSW already announced that it's basic insurance premiums will reduce by an annual amount of 6 euros next year. The health insurer is also decreasing the deductibles by 10 euros to 375 euros.